Knitter's Logic

Today is rainy and all my projects feel rainy too. I'm sure you've all been there: every project seems to have stalled or become difficult for one reason or another. I'm trying to be disciplined because I have a deadline for one of the designs. But I have a whole cubby of sock yarn that says, "Knit me, knit me!" And the only thing stopping me is that the needles I'd like to use for new socks are being used for this rather stubborn design. (The design is a pair of mitts which you can see in the upper left of my knitting basket. And now that I've fixed my very silly mistake that I made in the pattern, it should knit up much faster. Bonus: The mitts have a companion hat that has been finished and is just about ready to be tested.)

Anyways... as I went out to take the picture, I noticed that I'm knitting all blue projects! The mitts, a pair of Police Box Sox (I'm on the foot of the second one!), and a Watch Cap for me that I started last night. I heard the siren's call and I gave in. Also, I can't seem to find any of my other hats, so I used knitter's logic: make a new one.

What colors are you guys all knitting at the moment? Do you have a predominate color ruling your knitting life?

Burnout

Moments ago I published a rather whiney blog post about feeling a little burnt out on knitting. After laying on my bed for a few minutes moping, I realized that it is pretty cool that there are people who would like me to knit for them. One of those knitted items is the Boromir sock test knit I did for my co-worker. It is a beautiful socks and the sizing is accurate. Unfortunately my foot is a bit long, so I need to rip a bit out so I can add an extra repeat of the pattern. I didn't realize that the toe was a little short for me until I was nearly done, so I thought I'd just finish the sock up for the test.

Boromir Sock

I have decided to let this sock sit for a little while before I rip. And hopefully I'll stop being mopey soon. There's a been some stressors in my life and I'm embarrassed to admit that I've fallen to pieces. But after getting a wonderful e-mail from kiwipurler, I'm feeling a lot better. And hopefully everything that's been stressing me out gets straightened out soon. (Or at least stops making me cry. This puffy eye thing is getting a little old.)

Into The Wild Blue Yonder

Knitters often gravitate towards a particular color when shopping for yarn. Mooncalf likes grey, Ewenique likes Yellow, and Coopknits likes green. I suspected my color, but was able to confirm it once I pulled out the stash. I definitely like my blues. (The four skeins on the bottom left row were a recent purchase and are for my next sweater, which I'm not allowed to start until I finish my other sweater.) I almost brought out my entire stash to take a giant yarn rainbow picture, but then it occurred to me that I could be a bit more productive with my time...

Kiwiyarns was talking about Alice Starmore's Aran Knitting in her blog today. Talk about a coincidence. A half hour before I read that entry, my copy of the book arrived. I've only leafed through it, but I already love it.

I've Got The Blues

I've been feeling a little blue recently. Nothing serious. It just seems like there is a little cloud over my head. I know what caused it too and I'm a little embarrassed to admit the cause... since it's a bit stupid. But I was comparing myself to others again. I was looking at blogs, noting how long they've been going and how many people follow them. Perceiving other people as more successful is a recipe for depression, let me tell you. (It's silly because right now, there is nothing going wrong in my life. I'm following my passion, ie. writing knitting patterns, I'm not hungry, cold, or sick... etc.)

So I've spent the last two days trying every trick in the book to cheer myself up and then some. I had friends over for dinner, drinks, and a movie. My movie choice was praised by all as an great choice. (I'd watched the movie before, so I knew that already, but it was nice to hear it.)

I've been wearing cheerful socks.

I've gone for two bike rides, 16 miles each. I figured that maybe I could exercise the sadness out of me. It hasn't worked just yet, but I might try again tomorrow.

Last night I managed to figure out a pattern problem that has eluded me since January. (Of course a new problem materialized, but it was nice to get past the first problem.)

I finished my mitten design and even fixed the thumb problem I'd been having. (On a separate note, I've got some test knitters interested testing this pattern, but I'm always looking out for new test knitters to add to the pool... so if anyone is interested... I know the picture isn't terribly descriptive, but the mittens are based on the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.)

Last night I even made cookies. A sure fire way to feel better. Usually.

So I'm out of ideas beyond just waiting for the feeling to pass. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to them.

Christmas Light Favorites

Every year I walk around the neighborhood with my family to look at the Christmas lights. We each have certain houses we look forward to every year.

My Dad loves any house that has train lights. The ones with moving lights around the wheels get more points.

I love houses with blue lights. I find them calming.

My Mum loves houses with lights that look like candy. Unless they blink. No points for blinking lights.

But everyone's most favorite lights are the ones that make Scooter react. He often gets mad at the lights at this house. He seems to think that the animal figures are challenging him by making eye contact. It's quite funny to watch him get mad at the lights.